User blog:TsharpInfinity/"Meh": My Reflection on the Degrassi Series As a Whole
I've been aware of the Degrassi series for a while now, introduced to The Next Generation when it was in its 4th season. Honestly, I have found it and still do find it hard to sympathize with most of the main characters of the series. Maybe it's because I haven't found the right place to start at to get an idea of who these characters are, but to me, it can be very difficult to identify with people who take most of the things they face with such devout seriousness. And before you cry foul, yes, I am aware that this is a drama and self-advertised "soap opera" for teens. I get that. I'm sure that the amount of young adults who feel for the majority of the characters on Degrassi far outnumber the people like me, who identify more with people who laugh at their problems rather than sulk. Don't get me wrong, I do like drama, but only if it is pulled of in a way that interests me. Take Smallville, for instance. Watching a few early episodes, I found a lot of similarities with the high school years of the Last Son of Krypton and the high school years of emotional Canadian teenagers. The problem with the latter was, and still is, there was no HOOK for me. With Smallville, it was the easiest thing in the world: "SUPERMAN! But he's also a teenager, like you!" While I appreciate that Degrassi does not draw its popularity from gimmicks, I find it hard to become emotionally invested in characters that do not actually make a significant impact, if at all, on the fictional universe they reside in. For Superman (namesake given or not), it's easy because he's Superman. ''He can change the world, being the Man of Tomorrow and all. For the kids of Degrassi, the most they can do is change their own lives and the lives of those close to them, based on their actions. It became painfully obvious to me that many of the characters in Degrassi, whether they are aware of it or not, believe that the world revolves around them. Every problem they face is accompanied with such an audacious undertone of grandiose importance that it just feels silly to become invested. This is one of the many reasons that the second part of the two-part episode, "Time Stands Still" is one of my favorites. Something important happens not just to the characters, but to the ''world in this episode. Though I wish it were handled with more of a feeling of earth-shattering awe than that of a ham-fisted cautionary PSA, it was nontheless a major event in Degrassi history (plus, Rick Murray, my all-time favorite Degrassi character, had a death that was completely and shamefully brushed off, but I digress). Again, perhaps I am overthinking the issue. But Degrassi isn't a show you can simply turn your brain off to enjoy. You have to entrench yourself in the characters' storylines to really understand what is going on, which is something I honestly can't figure out how to do. I don't hate any of the characters, but I don't exactly love or necessarily like them. I guess you could say I'm "meh" about the series in its entirety. If there are a few episodes out there that show me why I should care about the majority of the characters on Degrassi, then I am not afraid to eat my words. Category:Blog posts